The phone was already in his hand. His mind was torn between what decision to make as his thumb hovered over the call button. This wasn't just a call; it was a decision that would change his life forever. A gamble. A line drawn in the sand between everything he stood for and everything he feared becoming.
He thought back to the times at science camp, of his mother coming home tired, defeated, and mentally drained from work but still keeping a smile on her face because she knew her sacrifice was worth it. Of his father, who once told him, "Integrity is the only thing no one can take from you, boy, unless you give it away."
He thought about his wife, the woman who chose him, who stood by him when he had nothing to offer. Who never looked down on him like others did, never shamed him for having nothing more than a dream. She lifted him when he fell, filled the tank of his car when he couldn't, fed him when he didn't have a penny to his name, and stayed up with him late into the night during deadlines. She still believed in him, even when he'd stopped believing in himself. Her belief had always been enough for them both.
He looked around at the lab. At the prototype. The enhanced dragonfly. And all the inventions he created, each one holding a piece of his soul. Proof that there were no limits to creativity when science was involved, that limits only existed in the mind.
Then he looked down at his phone again, his thumb circling around the call button as his mind wrestled with what to do. But right now, integrity didn't keep the lights on, nor did it pay his staff members that were ready to walk if he didn't come through. He was out of options and was out of time. He sat there shaking his head, disgusted in himself that it came to this, then hit the call button.
The screen lit up. The call connected. It rang once. Twice. And just as Robert's moral compass got the better of him and his thumb drifted toward the disconnect button, Derrick answered.
"Robert, my old friend!" Derrick's voice rang out, smug and full of satisfaction. He reveled in moments like this. "Gotta say, you held out a lot longer than I expected. Most come crawling way sooner. But you? You were different."
Robert clenched his jaw and curled his hand into a fist. It took everything not to slam it against the table. Derrick's smugness crawled right under his skin.
"Listen, Derrick. Enough with the games. Is the offer still on the table or not?"
"Relax, relax, Robert. Of course it is. My boss and I wouldn't pass up on a golden opportunity like this."
"Well, I need the money by the end of the week, or we can kiss this entire venture goodbye. I need to pay staff and clear the lab's debts."
"You'll get your first installment tonight," Derrick said. "It'll cover the staff, keep the sharks off your back, and keep the lab's lights on."
Robert hesitated. "Tonight, then."
"Tonight," Derrick repeated, delighted. "Welcome to the family."
Robert hung up the phone and tossed it to the side and kept his eyes straight ahead. He couldn't believe his life's work had come to this—his future in Derrick's hands. The hands of a criminal.
Oh, if my mother could see me now, he thought. I know exactly what father would be saying right now. "No, Robert man, there's always another way. If God wills it, so it will happen. If not, it wasn't meant to be."
His mother, his father, his wife… they wouldn't have wanted this. They poured love, trust, and belief into him because he was a hardworking, committed, and honorable man. But some choices stain the soul, and nothing in this world is worth selling your soul for. Not even your dreams.
Robert sat there wrestling with his decision for hours, trying to figure out if there was another way. He went through the files of papers and his finance sheets, trying to figure out if there was anything he missed that would save him from tainting his soul, but there was nothing. Just a mountain of figures that pointed towards a sinking ship. Then came a knock at the door.
"Boss?" one of the scientists said as he stood in the doorway. "There's someone out in the car park. He's been there a while. Should I call the cops?"
Robert sprang up from his chair, then began to head towards the door. "No. No need. I'll handle it."
As he stepped outside, he began to shiver, the cold wind biting at his ears. He looked around and at first he couldn't see Derrick or his car, so he walked out further and there he was at the far end of the car park, away from all the other cars, sitting in a sleek, matte black BMW M8 with custom plates.
Robert walked slowly toward it, every step feeling heavier than the last. Like his shoes were filled with cement. As he reached the car, the driver's side window rolled down, revealing Derrick leaned back in the driver's seat, grinning from ear to ear. He didn't say a word; he just reached over towards the passenger seat, grabbed the black duffle bag that was in the seat, and passed it through to Robert.
Robert had so many questions that he wanted to ask, but thought to himself, what was the point in asking now when the deal was done and his soul already belonged to Derrick and his boss? So he took the bag, turned away from the car, and began walking toward the lab.
As he walked away, Derrick's voice followed him. "So you're not going to count it?" Derrick said with a smile pinned from one corner of his face to the next.
Robert stopped walking instantly and stood still. "By the weight of this bag, Derrick, I don't need to check it. I'll be in touch."
"I'm a man of my word, Robert. Make sure you're one of yours, or there'll be consequences."
Robert took a huge gulp. He knew exactly what he meant by consequences. You didn't make a deal with Derrick then double-cross him. Robert had seen how that went for people in the past, and it didn't go very well.
"Well then," Derrick said. "Here's to a fruitful partnership. See you soon, old friend."
Robert didn't answer; he didn't know what to say. He just walked away. Then came Derrick's voice again, sharp as ice in the night's sky.
"Oh, and Robert? Don't worry about this one. It's on me. Call it a signing bonus."
Robert kept walking, but faster this time. The weight that had once slowed his steps now pushed him forward. He disappeared into the dark, the duffle bag in hand and regret in his chest.
But once you make a deal with the devil… there's no turning back.